"President Dead"

""President Dead""
Song by Marilyn Manson
Album	Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
Released	November 13, 2000
Recorded	1999–2000 at the Mansion, Death Valley, California
Performed	December 16, 2000 at the Bronco Bowl in Dallas, Texas
Genre	Alternative metal
Length	3:13
Label	Nothing, Interscope
Writer	Marilyn Manson
Composer	Twiggy Ramirez, John 5, Madonna Wayne Gacy
Producer	Marilyn Manson, D. Sardy

""President Dead"" is the sixth track on the 2000 release Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death). The song is comparable to "Great Big White World" due to a heavy use of synthesizers in these two tracks. It is also one of the only tracks on the album to feature a solo from guitarist John 5.

The song has only been performed live once since its release, in Dallas, Texas on December 16, 2000.

Appearances

Albums

• Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)

Versions

• "President Dead" — Appears on Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death).

Lyrics

    The president is dead?
    That's great.
    this is for the people, they want you
    this is for the people, they want you
    getting high on violence, baby
    President Dead is clueless
    and he's caught in a headlight, police-stated god
    and his skull is stained glass    
    incubated and jet set
    the bitter thinkers buy their tickets
    to go find god like a piggy in a fair     
    and we don't want to live forever
    and we know that suffering is so much better     
    this is for the people, they want you
    this is for the people, they want you
    getting high on violence, baby     
    give the pills time to work
    we all can't be martyred in the
    winter of our discontent     
    (getting high on violence, baby)     
    every night we are nailed into place and
    every night we just can't seem to
    ever remember the reason why     
    (getting high on violence, baby)     
    and we don't want to live forever
    and we know that suffering is so much better    
    this is for the people, they want to
    this is for the people, they want to
    getting high on violence, baby     
    and we don't want to live forever
    and we know that suffering is so much better

Trivia

• Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) lists the quotation marks as part of the song's literal title. It could be interpreted as a newspaper headline.
• ""President Dead"" has a duration of exactly 3 minutes and 13 seconds. Frame 313 of the Zapruder film, the most complete visual recording of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, is the precise frame where Kennedy is shot.

Personnel

• Marilyn Manson – vocals, syncussion, mellotron, lyrics
• Twiggy Ramirez – rhythm guitar, bass, music
• John 5 – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, music
• Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, music
• Ginger Fish – loop, live drums
• Alex Suttle – backing vocals
• D. Sardy – producer